Metzora
Demons Fear Job Judgment Lepers Moses Sword Torah

1. "And Hashem spoke to Moses, saying: 'This shall be the Torah of the leper in the day of his cleansing'" (Vayikra 14:1-2). Rabbi Aba opened the discussion with the verse: "Be afraid of the sword: for wrath brings the punishments of the sword that you may know that there is judgment (Heb. shadun)" (Iyov 19:29). It is PRONOUNCED, "shadun," but spelled shedin (lit. 'demons'). Observe in how many ways people should guard their way, fear the Holy One, blessed be He, and not depart from the right way, and people should neither transgress the laws of the Torah nor ever leave her.

1. וַיְדַבֵּר יְיָ' אֶל מֺשֶׁה לֵאמֺר. זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְגוֹ.' ר' אַבָּא פָּתַח, גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן. שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב. כַּמָה אִית לוֹן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא לְאִסְתַּמְּרָא אָרְחַיְיהוּ וּלְדַחֲלָא מִקַּמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּלָא יִסְטֵי מֵאָרְחָא דְּכַשְׁרָא, וְלָא יַעֲבוֹר עַל פִּתְגָּמֵי אוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יִתְנְשֵׁי מִנָּהּ.

Angels Shechinah Torah

2. He who does not learn the Torah and does not strive by her is scorned by the Holy One, blessed be He. The Shechinah does not rest upon him and the guardian ANGELS who accompany him TO PROTECT HIM depart from him. Moreover they stand before him proclaiming: 'Withdraw from this man, for he does not honor his Master.' Woe to him, for he is abandoned by the upper and lower beings and has no part in the way of the living.

2. דְּכָל מַאן דְּלָא לָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְלָא יִשְׁתְּדַל בָּה, נְזִיפָא הוּא מְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, רְחִיקָא הוּא מִנֵּיהּ, לָא שַׁרְיָא שְׁכִינְתָּא עִמֵּיהּ. וְאִינּוּן נְטוּרִין, דְּאַזְלִין עַמֵּיהּ, אִסְתְּלָקוּ מִנֵּיהּ, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא דְּמַכְרְזֵי קָמֵיהּ וְאַמְרֵי, אִסְתְּלָקוּ סוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דִּפְלַנְיָא, דְּלָא חָשׁ עַל יְקָרָא דְּמָארֵיהּ. וַוי לֵיהּ, דְּהָא שַׁבְקוּהוּ עִלָּאִין וְתַתָּאִין. לֵית לֵיהּ חוּלָקָא בְּאָרְחָא דְּחַיֵּי.

Shechinah Torah World to Come, The

3. When man makes an effort in serving his Master and learns the Torah, many guards are there to protect him. The Shechinah also rests upon him and everyone proclaims: 'Honor the image of the King! Honor the son of the King! He is protected in this world and the World to Come! Blessed be he!'

3. וְכַד אִיהוּ אִשְׁתָּדַּל בְּפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ, וְלָעֵי בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, כַּמָה נְטוּרִין זְמִינִין לָקֳבְלֵיהּ לְנַטְרָא לֵיהּ, וּשְׁכִינְתָּא שַׁרְיָא עָלֵיהּ, וְכֺלָּא מַכְרְזֵי קַמֵּיהּ וְאַמְרֵי, הָבוּ יְקָרָא לְדִיּוּקְנָא דְּמַלְכָּא, הָבוּ יְקָרָא לִבְרֵיהּ דְּמַלְכָּא, אִתְנְטִיר הוּא בְּעָלְמָא דֵּין וּבְעָלְמָא דְּאָתֵי, זַכָּאָה חוּלָקֵיהּ.

Blood Death Death and the Afterlife Evil Flesh Judges Judgment Lepers Plagues Serpent Sword Torah Wicked Wickedness Women

4. Come and behold: the evil tongue of the Serpent, with which he spoke to the woman, brought death upon the man, the woman, and the whole world. Thus, it is written: "And their tongue a sharp sword" (Tehilim 57:5), referring to the evil tongue. Therefore, "be afraid of the sword," NAMELY the evil tongue. What does the following verse mean? "For wrath brings the punishments of the sword." This is "the sword of Hashem," for as we learned, the Holy One, blessed be He, has a sword with which He punishes the wicked, as it is written: "the sword of Hashem is filled with blood" (Yeshayah 34:6). It is also written: "My sword shall devour flesh," (Devarim 32:42) FOR THIS IS THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT WITHIN MALCHUT. Therefore, "be afraid of the sword for wrath brings the punishments of the sword that you may know that there is judgment," WHICH MEANS that you know it has been so decreed, and THAT ANYONE who has a sword in his tongue - NAMELY, HE WHO SPEAKS WITH THE EVIL TONGUE - is punished with the sword that destroys all, FOR THIS IS MALCHUT FROM THE SIDE OF JUDGMENT. This is the meaning of: "This shall be the Torah of the leper;" THAT IS, MALCHUT FROM THE ASPECT OF JUDGMENT, WHICH IS CALLED 'THIS,' JUDGES THE LEPER FOR HIS EVIL TONGUE, BECAUSE PLAGUES COME FROM THE EVIL TONGUE.

4. ת"ח, בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא דְּאָמַר נָחָשׁ לְאִתְּתָא, גָּרִים לְאִתְּתָא, וּלְאָדָם, לְמִגְזַר עָלַיְיהוּ מִיתָה, וְעַל כָּל עָלְמָא בְּלִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא כְּתִיב, וּלְשׁוֹנָם חֶרֶב חַדָּה. בְּג"כ, גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב, מִפְּנֵי לִישָׁנָא בִּישָׁא. כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב. מַאי כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב. דָּא חֶרֶב לַיְיָ,' דִּתְנָן, חֶרֶב אִית לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דְּבֵיהּ דָּאִין לְחַיָּיבַיָּא. הה"ד חֶרֶב לַיְיָ' מָלְאָה דָם. וְחַרְבִּי תֺּאכַל בָּשָׂר. ובג"כ גּוּרוּ לָכֶם מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב כִּי חֵמָה עֲוֹנוֹת חָרֶב לְמַעַן תֵּדְעוּן שַׁדּוּן, שַׁדִּין כְּתִיב. בְּגִין דְּתֵדְעוּן דְּהָכִי אִתְּדָּן, מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ חֶרֶב בְּלִישָׁנֵיהּ, אִזְדְּמַן לֵיהּ חֶרֶב דְּשָׁצֵי כֺּלָּא, הה"ד זֺאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצוֹרָע.

Birds Evil

5. Rabbi Elazar cited the verse: "Like the birds that are caught in the snare, so are the sons of men snared in an evil time" (Kohelet 9:12). Although we have already learned this verse, come and behold: people are not aware of their Master's desire and do not listen to it, nor do they look to it. The supernal announcer goes before them every day to awaken them, but no one is there to listen to him and no one awakens his spirit to worship his Master.

5. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר פָּתַח, וְכַצִּפֳּרִים הָאֲחוּזּוֹת בַּפָּח כָּהֵם יוּקָשִׁים בְּנֵי הָאָדָם. הַאי קְרָא הָא אִתְּמַר. אֲבָל ת"ח, בְּנֵי נָשָׁא לָא יַדְעִין, וְלָא שַׁמְעִין, וְלָא מִסְתַּכְּלֵי בִּרְעוּתָא דְּמָארֵיהוֹן, וְכָרוֹזָא כָּל יוֹמָא קָארֵי קָמַיְיהוּ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּצָיִית לֵיהּ, וְלֵית מַאן דְּיִתְּעַר רוּחֵיהּ לְפוּלְחָנָא דְּמָארֵיהּ.